Electric hair dryer



A 5 19 7 A. R. YOUNGER 7 2,425,056

ELECTRIGHAI-R-DRYER Fil ed Nov. 11 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1947- A. R. YQUNGER 2,425,056

EL'EGTRIG HAIR-DRYER Filed Nv. 1.1. 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 5, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application November 11, 1944, Serial No. 562,946. In Great Britain August 15, 1944 2 Claims.

This invention relates to hair-dryers of the type comprising a hood or cap having an heating element operating in conjunction with an electric motor-driven fan, whereby air (heated or otherwise) is caused to pass over and through the hair to be dried, and has for its object to provide such devices of great simplicity, low cost, high efficiency and which moreover are readily manufactured.

Hair-dryersv in accordance with this invention have the heated or other air" projected positively, under slight pressure, onto and through the hair to be dried as a direct current, by the operation of a fan drawing in air from the exterior which air passes into the hood, over an electric heater (which if switched into circuit heats the air) and thence (direct or through a protective grille) to and through'the hair under treatment.

The hood has at or towards its lower end (suitably located over the head) an enveloping sleeve or skirt of flexible material of. desired length which terminates at' its lower end in a central contraotible opening and is adapted to be secured. in a comfortable although air-tight manner around. the head in a desired position, i. e. below the hair being. dried.

Adjacent the juncture between the hood and the flexible sleeve or shirt, the hood has a passage or passages for the heated or other air which has passed over or through the hair. The said air passes into these passages which may culminate in exhaust outlets in the hood so disposed that the issuing air is diverted from the neck and shoulders, or the said heated air may pass through. other openings subject to the suction of the fan and mix withv the freshly drawn in air, and then again pass to and through the hair and so on. In any case, exhaust openings are provided in the hood according to the particular construction and operation.

The hood structure can be as desired and. formed integrally with the motor casing or otherwise. Further, the material from which it and the motor casing are formed preferably is a thermosetting plastic, although such part or parts can be made from a suitable metal or metals (cast, sheet or otherwise) suitably heat insulated where necessary.

In so far as shape is concerned, the hood can have any suitable cross-section or sections which preferably expand from the top down to the part which comes adjacent the head in use; for instance, the section might be circular,. oval or otherwise. Regarding what may be termed the vertical. or axial dimensions of the bounding wall:

of the hood, these may be uniform all-around or vary according to the position to be occupied in relation to the" head.

Whatever the actual structure, the hood has angularly spaced inner and vertically or substantially vertically extending ribs. These contact with the hair on the head and thus control the depth to which the head can enter the hood and further by the spaces therebetween ensure the passage of the heated or other air to and through the hair.

In order that the invention may be better understood, it will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which ar given by way of example'only and in which:

Fig. 1 shows an axial cross sectional view of one embodiment of the hairdryer for carrying the invention into effect, and

Fig. 2- a similar view of a modification.

As shown in Fig. 1, the hood of the hair dryer is constituted by a thermosetting plastic moulding' of hollow form. At its lower extremity this is generally cylindrical and divided into two shell sections separated by an annular space, the inner shell section l at its lower end terminating a desired distance above the lower end of the outer shell section 2.

Proceeding upwardly the two shell sections I and 2 merge into a single shell section 3 which has the general conformation of a hollow hemisphere from the central upper part of which extends and: projects a hollow cylindrical extension d- The interior junction between this extension a: and. the hemisphere forms, as. shown, a gradually expanding. throat and from this position downwards there are provided circumierentially spaced inwardly projecting. ribs 5 of substantial radial extent, terminating a desired distance above: the base of the inner cylindrical shell section i of the hood.

Exterior of the inner thickness I and between the two shell sections l and 2 at their upper ends, the outer shell section 2 which in this position participates in the hemispherical formation, has a plurality of spacedexhaust openings 6 therein, so that thereby the upper part of the annular spacev 1 between the two shell sections I and 2 communicates with the outer air.

In the throat there is located an integral screen 8 having openings of desired fineness. The screen in some cases may be separate and suitably secured in position. This screen constitutes no: substantial impediment to air passing therethrough to the hood, but forms a guard between an electric heater arranged above the screen and motor casing, and supports an upper detachable end bearing plate 28 for the electric motor 9 the lower end It of the shaft II of which has keyed or otherwise aflixed thereto a moulded, cast or pressed axial or centrifugal fan I2.

There is detachably fixed in the throat above the screen 8 an heating element comprising a downwardly projecting supporting body I3 of hemispherical, conical or similar formation of refractory material, or a suitable plastic material which may or may not be asbestos filled, having the heating spiral I4 wound thereon, an

The hollow cylindrical extension 4 constituting part of the motor casing is, as will be seen at 24, fitted by means of a step to the outer shell section 2 with its dome 22 and the parts also are secured in relationship by a desired number of angularly spaced distance pieces and screws 25, one of which is shown.

The structure thus is made from two mouldings which can be readily assembled together and in the assembly the motor, fan and heater readily can be housed.

As shown in Fig. 2, the upper portion of the cylindrical extension 4 has a number of apertures 26 leading from the interior of the dome 22 to a annular passage I5 being left between-the outer i periphery of the heater thus constituted and the internal surface of the throat. material from which the supporting body i3 is formed depends on the degree of heating given to the spiral l4; for example, where this is only heating to less than glow temperature a highly refractory material need not be used, but a suitable plastic which may possibly have a desired proportion of asbestos therein.

Above the heater I3-I4 and filling the throat with running clearance is located the fan I2 which is mounted on the shaft II of the electric motor 9 which preferably is of simpleconstruction, the upper end of the said shaft being accommodated in the upper detachable end bearing plate 28. This latter has towards its periphery a plurality of passages I6 therethrough for entering air which annularly passes the motor structure to attain, and be projected forwardly under slight pressure by; the fan l2. This, when driven, draws the air in and passes it via the heater IS-M and through the protective screen 8 to the interior of the hood. Therein the hair is treated by the air, the action being facilitated and given efficiency by the spacesbetween the ribs-5. After its treating action the air leaves the inner shell section I of the hood by its lower end and is exhausted from the outer shell section 2 thereof in a direction away from the neck and shoulders of the individual whose hair is under treatment and through the apertures 6.

To confine the warm 'or other air, the lower end of the outer shell section 2 of the hood is beaded at I! on the exterior, the bead having a groove is to accommodate a resilient ring I9 supporting the'upper end of a sleeve or skirt of flexible material which also is waterproof and air-tight. The lower end of the sleeve or skirt 2%] has an elastic or other contractible band, cord or'the like 2!. By this latter, the lower end of the said sleeve or skirt 26 can be secured in an air-tight and comfortable manner around the head below the hair (for example in the position including and between the forehead and the nape of the neck) to confine the air which is under slight pressure to the hood and only permit its escape from the'exhaust passages or openings.

In the form shown in Fig. 2, the structure is substantially similar to that shown in Fig. 1' except that the inner shell section I is formed separate from the outer shell section 2, the latter being continued upwardly in the form of a hemispherical hollow dome 22 which comes at the upper part of the inner shell section I and the upper portion 23 of which comprises an integral bearing plate for the upper end II of the'shaft of the motor, the upper portion 23 having the air inlets I6.

Obviously, the

position between the air inlet I6 and the blades of the fan I2 andthe air which has passed to and through the hair and after treating the hair passed upwardly into the annular passage 1, enters the space on theinterior of the dome 22 and between it and the inner shell section I, and is drawn by the suction of the ran through the apertures 28 to mix with the air entering the inlets I6 so that the whole then passes by the forcing action of the fan to and through the hair, and so on. If desired, and required, any suitable number of exhaust openings such as 21 may be provided in the dome 22.

In either case, the hood structure with its motor 9, fan I2, heater I3--I4 and skirt 20 can be carried in any suitable manner and can be angularly or otherwise adjustable.

For example,'and as known with other hoods, this supporting means can b by a bracket and standard on runners or casters, or by a support such as a pivoted arm from a table or wall, or by a suspending chain or otherwise.

The interior and exterior shapes of the hood moulding orrnouldings preferably are such that they are readily mouldable and withdrawable from their moulds. However, in some cases each said structure can be made in more than one part, the parts being suitably connected, for example by screwed or other joints.

For example, there may be a screwed joint at the throat so that the more or less hollow cylindrical casing for the motor is separable from the hood structure proper.

The inve'ntionis not limited to the precise details of construction or methods of carrying the same into efiect, herein set forth, but can be varied to suit particular cases.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States of America is:

1. 'In a hairdryer, the combination of a hood having an inner shell section and an outer shell section separated by an annular interspace at one end and joined to each other at the other end, a tubular extension having air inlet means on one of said sections, a fan located in said extension for drawing fresh air through said air inlet means and discharging. it into said inner shell section, a heater adjacent said fan for heating the air discharged by the latter, the inner section terminating short of the outer section at the opposite end, the outer section being pro vided with exhaust openings for the air, air directing ribs on the inner wall of the inner section, said ribs being circumferentially spaced on the inner wall of the inner section and projecting radially inwards to a substantial extent from said wall and terminating close to the free end.- of the inner section, whereby the heated air circulates downwardly through the inner shell section and upwardly through said annular interspace to the exhaust openings the 'outer'shell section, and

- a screen in the imier section interposed between the heater and the ribs.

2. In a hair dryer, the combination of a hood having an inner shell section and an outer shell section separated by an annular interspace at one end and joined to each other at the other end, a tubularextension having air inlet means on one of said sections, a fan located in said extension for drawing fresh air through said air inlet means and discharging it into said inner shell section, a heater adjacent said fan for heating the air discharged by the latter, the inner section terminating short of the outer section at the opposite end, the outer section being provided with exhaust openings for the air whereby the heated air circulates downwardly through the inner shell section and upwardly through said annular interspace to the exhaust openings in the outer shell section, the extension having openings communicating with the interspace for the return of unexhausted air from said annular interspace into the fan intake portion of the tubular extension, air-directing ribs on the inner wall of the inner section, said ribs being circumferentially spaced on the inner wall of the inner section and projecting radially inwards to a substantial extent from said wall and terminating close to the free end of the inner section, and a screen in the inner section interposed between the heater and the ribs.

ALEXANDER REGINALD YOU NGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent? UNITED STATES PATENTS 

